The invention relates to a centrifuge having a spin drum whose casing can be continuously cooled by means of an insert disposed in the solids chamber and carrying a circulating coolant, the insert being supported at a plurality of points on the drum casing and being sealed off from the separating chamber of the drum.
Such a centrifuge is known, for example, from German Auslegeschrift No. 24 23 319, in which the liquid which is to be clairifed or separated is cooled in the centrifuge by a first circulated coolant and is held at a low spinning temperature, the coolant leaving the drum casing at a point located radially outwardly and being thrown against a jacket which is affixed to the frame, surrounds the drum, and is cooled by a second coolant.
While the separated or clarified liquid is continuously carried out of the centrifuge drum, the removed solids remain in the solids chamber of the cylindrical, solid-walled drum and have to be removed manually from the drum at certain intervals of time. The manual removal of the solids from the solids chamber of a centrifuge drum, however, always involves a great amount of time and labor, and can be accepted economically only if the cleaning, i.e., the removal of the solids from the drum, can be performed at relatively great intervals of time, i.e., where only small amounts of solid particles are separated.
In practice, however, there are numerous liquids containing solids, which have to be centrifuged in the cooled state, and which contain a very large content of solids; a centrifuge of the known kind is disadvantageous, since it has to be shut down at brief intervals of time, and taken apart, and the solid matter has to be removed manually. The frequent shutting down of the spinning drum furthermore very greatly reduces the efficiency of the cooling system.